Energy is not a luxury. It’s a fundamental necessity that we all need to stay safe and well.

Yet for too many people, an energy bill is a source of dread rather than simply a cost, and yesterday’s energy price cap announcement, pushing the average bill up by £60, will only deepen that anxiety.

As Colin, a member of Fair By Design’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel, explains: “All too often, people struggling financially are viewed as lazy or lacking ambition, but that’s far from the truth.

“Poverty, poor mental health and barriers to engaging with the workforce carry
significant social and financial costs.”

Colin is currently self-employed and works part time, as he has caring responsibilities for his elderly mum and his older brother. These caring responsibilities mean he cannot work full- time.

“For someone like me a social tariff would return the cost of unpaid care work,” he says. “A social tariff would mean I could keep the lights and heating on, and still have something left over.

“It isn’t simply financial assistance. Making my energy bills more affordable would provide me with dignity and recognition that we all have value.”

The Warm Home Discount is a good step towards an energy market that gives people like Colin breathing space. But at the moment it isn’t providing enough breathing space to make a real difference to people’s lives.

The discount currently provides households on means tested benefits with £150 off their energy bill each winter. But the average affordability gap for a household in fuel poverty is around £400.

That’s why we are calling on Burnham’s government to make the Warm Home Discount much more generous in October’s Budget.

The government must also recognise that some households need more help than others.

The Warm Home Discount does not apply to disabled households unless they are on means tested benefits. However, as a report we jointly commissioned last year showed, disabled households in receipt of disability benefits pay £97 more per year on energy than non-disabled households.

We are therefore asking for all disabled households to receive an extra £100.

Alongside this, we, and other consumer organisations, are urging the government to introduce a booster payment for eligible Warm Home Discount recipients who pay by standard credit.

Households on standard credit tariffs that are linked to the energy price cap
currently pay around £143 more per year for their energy than those who pay by direct debit. A booster payment would help to relieve this extra financial burden.

Ultimately, we need a system of energy bill support that is tiered according to income. This would mean that households on the very lowest incomes could receive support worth as much as £700 a year, while those closer to the eligibility threshold might receive a smaller discount, such as £100.

There is no single solution to fuel poverty. But by building on existing support and targeting help where it is most needed, the government can move closer to an energy system that gives everyone the opportunity to live with dignity.

As Colin says: “Society should judge itself on how it treats its poorest. Judgement erodes self-respect and our potential as people, whereas encouragement, trust and practical support are enablers. They help people to contribute more to society.

“Supporting people is not merely compassionate, it benefits everyone, and the potential for a social tariff gives me hope.”

Maria Booker is Head of Policy at Fair By Design.

Colin Saunders is a member of Fair By Design’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel.

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Dolly Parton’s sister, Stella, has claimed that the country music icon had been willing to try “experimental drugs” while being treated for cancer “in the hope of helping others”.

Following the news of the Jolene singer-songwriter’s death at the age of 80 earlier this week, her sister paid her respects in a lengthy Facebook post.

As the world remembered Dolly’s legacy in the music and entertainment business, many have also been pointing to her generosity, kindness and principles while paying their respects, with Stella agreeing: “My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known.

“What the world saw is exactly who she was, so much so, she told me recently that if there was no hope for her, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others in the future.”

She added: “My sister was always thinking of others and if you want to honour her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up and give more of your time and resources as she continued to do to the very end.

“I want to personally thank all of you for the outpouring of love and respect you are showing my sister. Your love and respect for her is deeply felt by all of us who loved her first and it helps as we grieve her passing through our lives!”

“Dolly loved the world and everyone in it,” Stella concluded. “I would criticise and complain about it and she would laugh and say: ‘shoot Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly asses’. She was right and she proved it everyday.

“She left the world a better place by being in it so let’s follow her example.”

Over the course of the last year, Dolly had shared with her fans that she was being treated for “health challenges”, but chose not to disclose the specifics in her lifetime.

After the news broke of her death, her family issued a statement confirming she’d died after a “brief battle with cancer”, also sharing that she would be laid to rest in a “small” and “private” funeral attended by her nearest and dearest.

John Healey has been accused of an “unforgivable” climbdown on defence spending just two months after quitting the cabinet demanding more cash for the military.

The chancellor has refused to commit to spending 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030.

That is despite attacking Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves for not promising to hit that target when he resigned as health secretary in June.

In his resignation letter to the then prime minister, Healey said: “I am certain that a headmark date for 3% of GDP on defence in 2030 is what Britain must set.”

However, it has now emerged that he will not make that spending commitment himself when he delivers his first Budget as chancellor in October.

Instead, he will set out how the government will plug a separate £5 billion black hole in the Defence Investment Plan.

Decisions on how the government will the achieve the Nato target of spending 3.5% on defence by 2035 have been delayed until next year.

A government source told the Financial Times: “At the spending review we’ll set out a clear path to meet our 3.5% Nato target in 2035 and set a target date for us to hit 3% on that path.

“The spending review is the right place to set a target date.”

However, it remains unclear whether that 3% target date will be 2030, as Healey demanded two months ago.

Former Tory foreign secretary James Cleverly condemned Healey on X.

He said: “John Healey resigned over Starmer’s refusal to properly fund defence.

“We said he was an honourable man and at a time of European war and global uncertainty a step change in defence spending was needed. Now it is Healey refusing to properly fund defence. Unforgivable.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The first duty of government is to keep its citizens safe. The prime minister and chancellor are committed to fully funding the Defence Investment Plan.

“At the spending review we will set out a pathway to meet our Nato commitment of 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035 and will set a target date to hit 3% on that path.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

After months of unbearable heat, it looks like we’re set for a long weekend of rain and thunderstorms. Boo!

If you’ve been planning a barbecue this weekend, you might want to rethink, because you’re going to have a lot of indoor time to fill.

If you have children, having the entire family cooped up inside for three days is probably the last thing you called for to end the summer holidays.

Don’t worry, though, because not all hope is lost. You don’t have to hide in separate rooms to get through the weekend, or pop the kids in front of a movie.

While recent research by Playmobil shows that 28% of children turn to screens when they’re bored, we have a better idea: crafting.

What better way to get them in the right headspace and soothe those back to school jitters than by getting their creative juices flowing?

I recently got a Cricut machine, which can print and cut your very own custom designs on your choice of paper, and it sent my imagination into overdrive.

There is so much to be made, and it’s easy enough to use with kids so that they can customise all their worldly possessions before they return to school. Stickers for their notebook? Check. A custom book mark so they don’t have to dog ear library books? Check.

Once you have a Cricut machine (I went for the Joy 2) all you have to do is open the Cricut design space and then the world is your oyster: you can design anything you want together, and they’ll be able to make as much as they want as long as you have the right materials.

If you want to keep them away from their phones this weekend, it’s the ideal tool to play with, and you can even plan ahead to Halloween or Christmas by making custom decorations or cards while you still have the time!

To get your mind whirring, here are five craft ideas to make with kids this back holiday weekend:

If your kids aren’t quite old enough to use a Cricut machine themselves, you can always make fun and customised craft materials for them.

Upload a family photo to Cricut Colouring Pages, and the app will instantly print your photo as a colouring page.

You can even choose the design – from manga, to caricature, or a simple line drawing.

Get your hands on some iron-on Cricut fabric, and you’ll be able to make your very own stickers for your kids’ backpack.

Every kid at school is going to have a brand new bag, but no one will have one quite like theirs.

There are thousands of designs to choose from, from their name (so they don’t lose everything) to flowers, dogs, or your own custom design.

The puzzle books you buy in shops are nice and all, but if you’ve ever wished you could get one personalised exactly to your kids’ interests, this is your lucky day.

You can use the Cricut design space to make an entire activity book with word searches, crosswords, and puzzles that include hints about their favourite interests and activities.

Here’s another idea for little ones: you can make matching cards by cutting out pieces of card using your machine, then cutting out a few symbol designs.

You’ll need to make sure you cut two of each symbol, so you have a set of matching cards, and it’ll be great for their concentration and memory retention.

It’s not just their backpack and water bottle that mark the new school year, refreshing their bedroom might give them a renewed sense of inspiration, too.

Space junkies will love stars, planets, and aliens cut out from glow in the dark vinyl, or you could go for flowers or trees for a more woodland-inspired look.

This week, cyberattacks have taken place in three UK airports: Manchester, Stansted, and East Midlands.

During these breaches, hackers accessed the data of 8.7 million customers, The Guardian reports.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns all three airports, has assured customers that “at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised”.

The hackers seem to have accessed information regarding “car park, lounge and fast-track bookings and in-airport wifi sign-up”, and not things like customer credit card details.

MAG also said that they acted quickly to resolve and contain the issue, informing passengers about the breach as soon as possible – the company stated it has been “working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems”.

Affected customers, they say, have been contacted directly, with involved airports reminding all passengers to follow “standard cyber security good practice,” including remaining “vigilant for suspicious emails, text messages or phone calls”.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has said that people worried about the cyberattacks can access support on its website.

Though information like bank details wasn’t hacked in these cases, IT expert John Pepper, CEO and founder of Managed247, said customers could still face phishing attempts as a result.

“While the fact that payment and banking information was not obtained by hackers will be reassuring to customers, it is important not to underestimate the value of the information that has been accessed. The real risk may be what criminals can do with that information next,” he explained.

“An email address on its own might not seem particularly sensitive, but combine it with a phone number, postcode, vehicle registration and knowledge that someone has used an airport service, and you have a much more convincing basis for impersonation.”

Hackers can use these seemingly small pieces of data to form a more convincing scam email, he added, and may even combine them with information from other data breaches to build a more detailed picture of possible victims.

This, he said, is why customers need to remain “particularly alert over the coming weeks and months.

“A scammer may not necessarily mention the breach itself. They could pose as an airport, parking provider, travel company, Wi-Fi provider or another organisation connected to a customer’s journey, using genuine details to establish credibility before trying to obtain a password, payment information or access to an account.”

Pepper said it’s always a good idea to be cautious of “any unexpected message that uses personal information to make [you] feel that it must be legitimate.

“Don’t assume that because someone knows your registration number, postcode, email address or details about a journey that they are who they claim to be.”

A request that feels really urgent – like telling you to pay for something in the next hour or risk fines – is a serious red flag, he added.

“Don’t click through from an unsolicited message – instead, go directly to the organisation’s official website or use a trusted phone number to verify the request,” the expert ended.

“It’s also important to remember that cyber attacks don’t necessarily end when an organisation contains the initial intrusion. For the organisation, continuous monitoring and prompt investigation are critical to understanding what an attacker may have accessed and stopping any further compromise.

“For consumers, the equivalent is staying alert to what comes next, because the stolen information itself can become the raw material for much more targeted attacks, phishing, social engineering, and fraud, which can result in financial loss or identity theft”.

British actor Tim Curry once recalled an awkward question from Ivana Trump while staying at the then Donald Trump-owned Plaza Hotel during the filming of the 1992 Christmas classic Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, in which the future US leader made a cameo.

In an nterview with The Guardian published earlier this week, Tim said that Ivana, who died in 2022 at the age of 73, asked his opinion of the property’s decor. She had overseen its lavish remodeling.

“She knocked on my door and said, ‘Are you happy in your room? Do you like the way it looks?’” recalled Tim. “And I loathed it actually.”

Read the full interview at The Guardian.

Tim, who passed away at the age of 80, played the Plaza’s concierge in the movie sequel.

In the same interview promoting his memoir Vagabond, which he penned after being left partially paralysed following a severe stroke in 2012, the actor also remembered Donald Trump himself being “very anxious” to get his then-girlfriend Marla Maples (he’d split from Ivana) an introduction to the film’s director, Chris Columbus.

The Rocky Horror star said: “He told me, ‘I’ve got to get Marla to meet Chris Columbus because she’s a brilliant actress.’ And I thought: ‘Yeah, I’m sure.’”

In Trump’s brief cameo, Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister ask him for directions to the lobby. Columbus has claimed Trump’s appearance was a condition of filming at the Plaza.

Trump, though, has insisted the filmmakers were “begging me to make a cameo” and he agreed despite being “very busy” and not really wanting to.

Macaulay Culkin has said he’d be happy if Trump’s scene were to be cut, but Columbus has joked that doing so would spark national outrage: “If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country.”

The amount of hours you spend asleep isn’t the be-all end-all when it comes to health: one study found that sleep regularity was more strongly linked to a longer life than sleep duration.

But that’s not to say it doesn’t matter. Getting at least seven hours’ shut-eye nightly seems to help us live longer, function better, and even lower our dementia risk.

And the lead author of recent research published in Nature, Junhao Wen, has said: “Previous studies have found that sleep is largely linked to ageing and the pathological burden of the brain.

“Our study goes further and shows that too little and too much sleep are associated with faster ageing in nearly every organ, supporting the idea that sleep is important in maintaining organ health within a coordinated brain-body network, including metabolic balance, and a healthy immune system.”

Using data collected from half a million members of the UK Biobank (a depositary of thousands of participants’ health data that scientists can use for health research), Wen created 23 “ageing clocks” to predict the rate of ageing of various organs and body systems.

He then compared that to the participants’ sleep patterns.

The paper said that those who sleep less than six hours or more than eight hours a night saw faster ageing, on average: a “U-shaped” association.

And there appeared to be a sleep duration sweet spot, too.

The least amount of ageing seemed to happen in those who slept between 6.4 and 7.8 hours a night in this research, though this varied by “organ and sex in the UK Biobank (aged 37-84 years)”.

And people who neither slept too much nor too little seemed to be at a lower risk of “all-cause mortality”, too.

In this research, either too much or too little sleep was linked to a higher likelihood of disease.

Short sleep was linked to depression, anxiety, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and heart arrhythmia.

Both short and long sleep were associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and multiple digestive issues, including gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

“The broad brain-body pattern is important because it tells us that sleep duration is a deeply embedded part of our entire physiology, with far-reaching implications across the body,” said Wen.

The paper read, “Our results underscore the systemic biological adverse associations of disturbed sleep and provide a compelling framework for more targeted and thoughtful attention to sleep disturbance as a potential signal of emerging health issues and a partner in the quest to promote healthy ageing, reduce disease risk and extend lifespan.”

The BBC has given an update on the future of Diane Morgan’s hit comedy Ann Droid.

On Thursday morning, it was confirmed at the Edinburgh TV Festival that Diane will be returning as the obsolete AI bot Linda in a second season, following the success of the first run.

She enthused: “The response to Ann Droid has been so incredible. We’re all totally blown away.”

Diane added: “I’m really looking forward to not blinking, needing physio and hearing Cotton Eyed Joe on repeat.”

Ann Droid centres on a grieving widow, played by The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston, whose hapless son haphazardly buys her an AI bot to keep her company.

While initially, Sue’s character is resistant to her new companion, the two eventually grow closer and become unlikely friends.

Reacting to the news that Ann Droid will be back for six more episodes, Sue beamed: “I am so unbelievably happy that we are to do another series! Great script, great cast, great crew.

“The reaction from the public has been wonderful. Even my doctor called me Sue, Sue, Sue this morning! Everyone has been asking if there will be more and now we can tell them! Yippee.”

Since it premiered last month, Ann Droid pulled in 7.6 million viewers in its first week, a figure which has already increased to 8.1 million.

Besides Diane and Sue, the show also features appearances from Paul Ready, Kathryn Hunter and Margot Leicester.

BBC Comedy’s Emma Lawson said of the upcoming second run: “We’re delighted to be bringing Ann Droid back for a second series. Diane and Sarah have created such a warm, relatable, and uniquely funny comedy that audiences in their millions have fallen in love with.

“Alongside the brilliant team at Boffola and Witchcraft Industries, they’ve given us something truly distinctive, and Linda and Sue Sue Sue have quickly become two of comedy’s most lovable characters. We’re thrilled that we will all get to spend more time with them!”

We’ve whittled down to our last few bank holidays of the year. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, there are only two left after the next summer bank holiday on 31 August.

Scotland, meanwhile, has a November date that the rest of the UK doesn’t take off – St Andrew’s Day – but next Monday isn’t a bank holiday there.

For the rest of the UK, however, the upcoming three-day stretch comes after a thundery week, with yellow weather storm warnings.

This begs the question: what will the weather be like this bank holiday weekend?

Well, so far, it’s not looking very sunny.

The Met Office has predicted an “unsettled” bank holiday weekend. On Friday, we can expect “bands of rain and showers moving across many parts… with most persistent rain towards the northeast”.

Northern Ireland is expected to remain relatively dry that day, however, while the south-east of England could escape some of the worst showers too.

It will also be “windy at times, especially on Saturday,” the weather service went on to note. This breeze and rain might be felt strongest in the south of the UK, though more northerly areas are still likely to face heavy clouds.

BBC Weather continued: “Sunday will be an unsettled day with showers or longer spells of rain, particularly across the north and the west”. Some thunder is possible.

And by bank holiday Monday itself, we can expect wetter, windier conditions to make their way north.

Still, a (literal) bright spot for some: BBC Weather predicts “sunny spells and the odd shower elsewhere”.

As for the rest of September, the Met said we’re likely to see higher-than-average rainfall at the start of the month (welcome for some after periods of drought).

The wettest conditions are likely to be in the north-west, though wind and showers will probably be mainstays in this period.

Meteorologists don’t expect the weather to dry out until late September.